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HAPPY Easter

Stacey MacNaught |

As we gear up for a weekend full of chocolate bunnies, sunshine (hopefully!), Morris dancing and other Easter traditions it is hard to believe that the British are perceived by many other nations as being ‘a bit stiff’. If the egg rolling and Easter bonnet parades scheduled for this weekend don’t disprove this preconception however, the Honest Policy Blog viral sensation will certainly change people’s mind. Since Pharrell Williams’ song Happy became a hit last year there have been hundreds of remakes. It has also been adopted by several campaigns; in March, Brazilian students from Ponteificia Universidade Catolica do Rio Grande do Sul in Porto Alegre used the song to protest against the conditions in Brazilian cities ahead of the World Cup. The Honest Policy Blog’s version is by far the favourite attracting 266,080 viewers in just two days! It includes British Muslim of different ethnic backgrounds and ages, scholars, celebrities, students, professionals and everyday people dancing in the streets, parks and even outside Wembley Stadium. Dancewear Central’s favourite has to be the rocking Grandfather with his air guitar!

This fabulous display of twinkle toes was put together in order to protest again the perception that the British are ‘a bit stiff’ and to prove that both the Muslim community and the wider British community are ‘Happy… Diverse. Creative. Fun. Outgoing. And everything you can think of’.

Dance is a fun and inoffensive way to protest. From Pierre Dulaine’s attempt to solve the conflict in Israel with ballroom dancing to the anti-fracking protests by Tahany Academy of Dancing this week at the World Irish Dancing Championship it has been used to help raise awareness and money for a wide variety of causes and charities. This latest attempt to raise a smile with a bit of ballet however, has certainly succeeded!